The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-06-03
THE PACIFIC ROADS INVEsTIGA-
TON.

The government commission invest
eating the accounts of the Pacific
railroads appears to be working in
dustriously. The gentlemen are ap-
parently trying to earn their salaries
if that can be done by prying into
affairs which concern neither the
government nor the people, and ex-
posing matters which nobody has at
tempted to conceal. So far the atten-
ton and efforts have been dilected
largely to the Union Pacific. The com
mission went to work as if it expected
to unearth any amount of crookedness
and develop innumerable jobs and
schemes devised and executed for
swindling the government. There is
one thing about this investigation
which all should be pleased to note,
and that is the frankness with which
the officials of the company answer
the questions propounded. So far as we
have seen in the reports of the
inquiry, there has been no
manifest desire or attempt to hide the
facts and cover up what should come
out. President Adams and his as
sociates have answered promptly and
fully 30 far as their knowledge en-
abled them to do so. The results, that
while some irregulaiity and perhaps
crookedness have been discovered, moth.
ing of criminal nature has come out;
and 1t has been shown that while the
strict letter of the statute has not at ail
times been followed the departures
therefrom have in very nearly every
instance, been for the benefit OF the
company and therefore for the advan-
tage of the government as the com.
psny's chief creditor. This is notably
the case in regard to the branch lines,
The charter did not authorize the con-
struction of branches, and forbid the use
of the company's guarantee or credit
the purchase or building of other roads.
If this prohibition had been literally
obeyed, what would have been the re-
suit? The government would long
since have gone into the business of
operating railroad, for the Union Pa
ciic, bankrupt and worthless, must
have fallen into the hands of its credit
ors. The branches have sustained the
main line and made it possible to
operate the road st profit. We have
never believed there was crookedness
or corruption in the conduct of this
great corporation. Whatever of down
right wrong has been done was not in
the management of the road nor in the
manipulation of the accounts. There
has at times been gross incompetency
and fearful lack of wisdom, but Their Q
was no dishonesty against government.
II any good can come from
the present investigation, it will be
the good resulting from the discovery
of the fact that the company is not try
ing to rob the government, and has
been guilty of nothing suggestive of a
ueteruluhuou W dfolu us ODlSatlOOs
to the nation. Good may come from
this knowledge, If the information will
put stop to the perpetual assaults
upon the company which is struggling
so hard to save itself and protect the
creditor which was originally generous
to the degree of extravaganza and has
since been harsh to the point of down
right meanness. We sincerely believe
that IL the Union Pacific were not har-
rsssed. annoyed and oppressed by Con-
gress. if it were left free to act as an
honest debtor, it would be better for the
government and vastly so for the coun-
try tributary to the company's lines.